Earlier this week, I had the fantastic opportunity to dine at Trèsind Studio - an exclusive Modernist Indian restaurant led by the super talented Chef Himanshu Saini. It was one of the best dining experiences I’ve ever had and I thought I had to share this with you all. So I’m going to share my thoughts and some pictures! Be prepared to feel super hungry after reading this!

I had my family visiting from India so we thought we’d try this restaurant as we had heard some great things about it. We all love eating out and trying new things so this was the perfect choice. This experience is called Chapter 1: The Journey, and it’s takes you on a journey of Tresind, through the years

As I entered the Studio, I loved the interiors! Simple straight lines, pleasant colours, nothing too OTT, a beautiful butterfly centre piece that immediately caught my eye and some gorgeous dragonfly napkin rings that I immediately started playing with! I loved the simple interiors and the attention to detail!

I was quite hungry because I only had a very light meal (thankfully), so I could do full justice to the fabulous food (that just kept coming)! It was 16 course meal and quite an intimate affair with the chefs preparing and assembling the courses at our table, explaining the course and ingredients in detail. I went for the vegetarian option but you could also opt for the non vegetarian option, and they could also tweak the course for you in case of any dietary restrictions.

When you dine such a restaurant, a bit of drama is expected obviously, and Tresind did not disappoint! So we were promptly greeted with a fragrance bowl with a very refreshing lemon-y lemon grass-y scent. That basically set the tone for the rest of the evening. Speaking of drama, I would just like to say that at no point did I feel it was too much, or too pretentious. It was just the right level of drama for me, so I really enjoyed all the theatrical moments without feeling too overwhelmed.

Starters: My favourite starter was the mouth wateringly amazing ‘Missi roti’ served with freshly made white butter. I’ve grown up eating heaps and heaps of homemade white butter! There’s nothing in this world quite like it. So this course somehow took me back to those wonderful days! Such a simple dish, but so delicious that I could’ve had 16 courses of only that! The butter was so buttery, and the Missi roti was so flaky and seasoned perfectly that I literally craved for more! It was comfort food presented in such a modern minimalistic way - truly impressive.

Some of the other starters were - deconstructed pani puri, mushroom chai with a beautiful ravioli, watermelon rassam which was outstanding, and a beetroot kabab with just took my breath away!

Mains: Now technically, all the courses were small/bite sized portions, so I’m not really sure when the starters ended and the main courses began, but the following courses were richer, and larger portions so I’m categorising them as ‘mains’. My most favourite main course was the good old ‘khichadi’! Khichadi is basically rice cooked together with dal/lentils along with some spices added for extra warmth and comfort, and lot of ghee! It’s my go-to comfort food and the quickest and easiest to make as well! Generally speaking, every Indian kitchen has served some form of khichadi in its lifetime. That’s how basic and normal it is.

But who would have thought the same khichadi could be so sophisticated! Chef Himanshu called us all towards the kitchen where he laid out all the ingredients on the map of India. In one pot, he had a basic khichadi, ready to be garnished by 20-25 more ingredients to represent each part of India. What a great concept! And the end result was just the most delicious khichadi I have ever eaten!

Desserts: I really look forward to desserts. In fact, I sometimes check out the dessert menu first, so I can decide my main course. Sometimes, I just skip the main course completely! So basically, to cut a long story short, I love desserts! So I was obviously looking forward to the next few courses! Now I’d like to mention at this point, that around the 8th or 9th course, I was actually completely full, so everything after that was basically stretching myself (a.k.a overeating), but it’s allowed on some special days.

I loved the deconstructed red velvet cake and the little petit fours that came in the big wooden box. The presentation was on point and I was blown away by the attention to detail. One of the desserts actually came with its magnifying glass and lights so we could see the gold dust and shiny glittery garnish! Throughout the courses, I loved the use of the different plates (and leaves) as it added an extra special touch!

But you know what I really needed at the end of all this? Something comforting and hot to make sure all that food made its way into my tummy without any issues! Lol! This is a sure sign that you’ve overeaten, by the way! And to my sheer joy, that was also taken care of! It was like someone had read my mind. The last and final course was a choice of tea! I opted for my favourite ginger and honey tea with a touch of lemon. Can never go wrong with that one!

So all in all, a fabulous evening and a very memorable experience! An absolute treat! I haven’t described every course in detail, because that would make a very lengthy post, plus you just have to experience it once, to understand what Tresind is all about, and I didn’t want to do any injustice to it! But I hope I’ve managed to give you all a glimpse of what Tresind Studio is all about and what you can expect! If you happen to visit, do share your experience with me too! I would love to hear all about it! Here’s a link to their website: http://www.tresind.com/en#studio

xx

Kirti

Dubai diaries: Dinner at Tresind Studio